Subject Line Formulas

Subject Line Formulas

Welcome Sequence Subjects

Email 1: Delivery

• "[Lead magnet name] is inside"
• "Your [lead magnet] + quick start guide"
• "Here's [what they asked for]"

Email 2: Connection

• "Why I created [lead magnet]"
• "The mistake that led to this"
• "Quick story about [topic]"

Email 3-4: Value

• "The [X] mistake everyone makes"
• "Try this: [specific tactic]"
• "What [person] discovered about [topic]"

Email 5: Bridge

• "You can [do X] now. But can you [do Y]?"
• "What [lead magnet] doesn't do"

Email 6: Soft Pitch

• "The full system (if you want it)"
• "This isn't for everyone"

Email 7: Direct Pitch

• "Last thing about [product]"
• "[Product] — yes or no?"

Re-engagement Subjects

• "Did I do something wrong?"
• "Should I stop emailing you?"
• "Breaking up is hard to do"
• "[First name], still there?"

General Subject Formulas

Curiosity Gap

• "The [X] mistake that cost me [Y]"
• "Why [surprising thing] works"
• "I was wrong about [topic]"

Direct Benefit

• "How to [outcome] in [timeframe]"
• "[Number] ways to [benefit]"

Personal/Story

• "Quick story about [topic]"
• "What happened when I [action]"

Question

• "Can I ask you something?"
• "Are you making this mistake?"

Pattern Interrupt

• "." (just a period)
• "So..."
• "Bad news"

What Kills Opens

Avoid:

• ALL CAPS
• Excessive punctuation!!!
• "Newsletter #47"
• "[COMPANY NAME] Weekly Update"
• Clickbait that doesn't deliver

Preview Text

First 40-90 characters appear in inbox preview.

• Bad: "Having trouble viewing this email?"
• Good: Continue the curiosity from subject line